It is common that after a meal we feel like sleeping, but why? We tell you the cause and how to solve it.
That hateful moment when after eating we just want to be in our bed, even for 10 minutes, but instead we have to continue at work or in class, is something very common and it has to do not only with the act of eating, but with what we eat.
Sleep after eating is more normal with carbohydrate-rich foods. This terrible sensation was previously attributed to the body’s energetic wear and tear during the digestive process, but the researcher at the University of Manchester, in England, Denis Burdakov, together with his team, demonstrated that an almost imperceptible rise in glucose It significantly decreases neuronal activity and that is what makes us sleepy.
That is that drowsiness can be more or less strong depending on what we eat. After his research, it was learned that glucose lowers orexins (a type of protein whose mission is to keep us alert) that participate in the regulation of the daily cycle of sleep and wakefulness in the control of appetite, which decreases our desire to be active.
What to do to not fall asleep? The best remedy to end drowsiness after eating is to take a 10 or 15 minute nap (no more, because you run the risk of waking up more tired), but since that is not always possible, you can play with your diet. According to the study by researchers at the University of Manchester, In order not to fall asleep after eating, it is important:
- Avoid foods rich in carbohydrates and fats (pasta, red meat with a lot of fat).
- Opt for foods rich in protein (fish, dairy, seeds, sausages, eggs, liver, chicken)
- Do not ingest alcoholic beverages
- Do not eat in excess
- Rest between 7 and 8 hours at night
- Drinking water
- Eat an apple after eating
Taken from Earth